“Heart of a Dog” deals with the death of Anderson’s rat terrier Lolabelle. The filmmaker lost her mother, her husband and her dog in a tragic succession of deaths around 2011. Told through home movies, animation, personal narration and a stream-of-consciousness structure, the work touches on themes of family, loss, Buddhism, surveillance and storytelling.

“The HBO team has been so warm and dedicated, and their passion for our movie is delightful,” commented Anderson. “I’m beyond happy that ‘Heart of a Dog’ will find such a wide audience with this wonderful team.”

After a busy festival run, “Heart of a Dog” will open in theaters on October 21 and air on HBO in 2016.